...COMPANY BACKGROUND Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas, when four local businesspeople decided the natural foods industry was ready for a supermarket format. Their founders were John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy, owners of Safer Way Natural Foods, and Craig Weller and Mark Skiles, owners of Clarksville Natural Grocery. The original Whole Foods Market opened in 1980 with a staff of only 19 people. It was an immediate success. At the time, there were less than half a dozen natural food supermarkets in the United States. It has grown in leaps and bounds since then. Today, they are the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 310 stores in the North America and the United Kingdom (About Whole Foods Market). During its 31-year history, Whole Foods Market has been a leader in the natural and organic food movement across the United States, helping the industry gain acceptance among growing numbers of consumer concerned about the food they eat (Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble, 2010, p.C-2). The company seeks out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintains the strictest quality standards in the industry, and has an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture. Add that to the excitement and fun they bring to shopping for groceries, and you start to get a sense of what they are all about. John Mackey, the company’s cofounder and CEO, believes that Whole Foods’ rapid growth and market success has much to do with its having “remained...
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...Whole Foods Market: A Strategic Analysis Adrienne Lee Richard Linowes Spring 2009 General University Honors 5/6/2009 1 WHOLE FOODS MARKET: Strategic Company Analysis EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Whole Foods Market, Inc. has long been admired as an innovative company with quality standards, a devotion to community and environmental responsiveness, a healthy growth model and highly-regarded employment practices. However, the company has faced recent difficulties as a result of the economic recession, increasing competition, and complications from acquisitions. To revitalize the company from historical lows in its toughest year in history, Whole Foods Market must reassess its costs, refocus its expansion strategies, and promote its brand to compete for the diminishing consumer spending dollar. During the changes in strategic initiatives, it is also important for the company to keep Whole Foods Market’s mission and its brand value intact. The chain is known for its high standards, quality, and ethical practices; this image is at stake when any changes in brand or reputation are made. It is of utmost importance to balance the positioning in order to increase awareness and sales, but at the same time avoid diminishing the brand and message of the company. Without the value behind the Whole Foods brand, the company will not survive—recession or not. If Whole Foods can successfully complete these initiatives that include major restructuring while also generating public relations...
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...Whole Foods Market Spring Semester 2012 Introduction Since 1980, Whole Foods Market has pioneered the organic and natural foods movement. All products meet Whole Foods Market’s strict quality standards to ensure they are free of artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings, preservatives and hydrogenated fats. Whole Foods market was founded in 1978 and is based in Austin, Texas. Founder and chairman of this company is John Mackey. The company has also some subsidiaries companies Allegro Coffee company, Pigeon Cove, Seafood processing facility, Select Fish, West Coast seafood processing facility and Produce Field Inspection Office. Current situation Whole Foods Market offers produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, specialty (beer, wine and cheese), whole body (nutritional supplements, vitamins, body care and educational products), floral, pet products and household products. Whole Foods Market operates over 270 stores in North America and the United Kingdom and employees over 54000 associates. The stores emphasize perishable products, which account for about 75% of sales. The company offers more than 15000 items in four lines of private label products. Also since 2007 whole foods market merged with wild oats markets based in boulder, Colorado. Mission The mission of the company are three phrases “whole food-whole people-whole planet” which means that if you cover these...
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...Whole Foods: Final Paper Whole Foods Market, Inc Jess Tourville Endicott College Managing in the Evolving Workplace TJ Hanratty March 5, 2013 From the fairly humble beginning of being a one-store entrepreneur living on the third floor and taking baths in the dishwasher, John Mackey has seen his 1978 Safer Way grocery store grow into an $8 billion a year corporation. As of September 2008, Whole Foods had 264 stores in the United States, six in Canada, and five in the United Kingdom. Whole Food’s is now the leading chain of natural food supermarkets in the United States. The company's stores average 28,500 square feet in size and feature foods that are free from artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, and sweeteners. They also offer many organically grown products. Many locations include in-store cafes and juice bars. Whole Foods has also developed a growing line of private label products such as organic pasta, freshly roasted nut butters, oak-aged wine vinegars, and aromatic teas. After the company was founded in 1980 with a single store, it grew dramatically into a chain of more than 130 stores in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. It is a Fortune 1000 company, ranked as the 41st largest U.S. supermarket and the 730th largest U.S. company overall. There are few companies that attract the kind of following Whole Foods and its CEO/founder has both among its customers and the national media. Their corporate website averages more than 50,000 visitors...
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...Unit 5-Whole Food Market Case Study Analysis Kaplan University School of Business MT460 Management Policy and Strategy Author: Andrea Reed Professor: Dr. Marian Leerburger Date: November 21, 2012 Whole Food Market Case Analysis Introduction In 1978, John Mackey opened a natural foods grocery called Safer Way that focused mainly on vegetables. The store was not very successful and in 1979 Mackey joined with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles and they started Whole Foods Market. What Craig, Weller and Skiles wanted to do was change the world’s diet to a healthy one. Whole Foods not only has markets they have several other business; Allegro Coffee company, Pigeon cove seafood processing and Produce Field Inspection Office and Select Fish (Harasta and Hoffman, 2007). Whole Food Markets looks forward to one day providing the highest quality good tasting foods available. Synopsis of the Situation Whole Foods Market is a leading seller of natural and organic food. With over 100 stores their goal is to become one large store instead of a number of small ones. Whole Foods Market would like to make shopping for food into a pleasant, fun experience. It is the desire of Whole Foods to make the customer think of home when they enter one of their markets. The vision of Whole Foods is to have a brand known worldwide, and to introduce the future generation to a healthy diet and be the best in food retail( Key Issues With the growing demand will World Food Market be able to...
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...Whole Foods Market Industry Whole Foods Market Industry Originally, Whole Foods Market (WFM) was founded in Austin, Texas, by twenty-five year old college dropout John Mackey and twenty-one year old Rene Lawson Hardy in 1980 with a staff of 19 people. It was born with the idea to provide a grocery store featuring good, wholesome food; not a "health food" store filled with pills and potions. As soon as the store opened, it was an immediate success and there were less than half a dozen natural food supermarkets in the United States. Sales doubled each year for the first four years. From 1980 to present day, the company has grown primarily through various mergers and acquisitions, which have included their signature brand coffee Allegro and Wild Oats Markets. Currently, Whole Foods Market has 408 stores, including 9 stores in the U.K. and 10 in Canada. (Whole Foods Market, 2015) WFM’s mission statement is “Whole Foods – Whole People – Whole Planet.” Strengths Whole Foods Market (Whole Foods) owns and operates a chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets through several wholly-owned subsidiaries. The company’s supermarkets are located in the US, Canada, and the UK. It employs about 87,000 people. In 1984, Whole Foods Market began its expansion out of Austin. While continuing to open new stores from the ground up, they fueled rapid growth by acquiring other natural foods chains throughout the 90’s: Wellspring Grocery of North Carolina, Bread & Circus of Massachusetts...
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...1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? The chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursing is providing the finest quality of products in the market that is free from preservatives and other genetically engineered products that reduce the quality of being organic. This means that it is has the least amounts of processed prods and are naturally preserved. Whole Foods Market strives to eventually dominate the local market and eventually the international market. They promote the vision of Whole Food, Whole People, Whole Planet. 2. Is the strategy well matched to recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic foods segment of the food retailing industry? Yes, their strategy is definitely well matched as Whole Foods focuses on supplying consumers with the healthiest products available. The products are without pesticides, hormones, and other genetically engineered products that could affect health, community, and agriculture. The quality products at Whole Foods have a flavorful taste and are preferred by the demands of health conscious consumers and the current trends of a healthy lifestyle. 3. Do you think John Mackey has a good strategic vision for Whole Foods? Why or why not? What do you like/dislike about the company’s motto “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet?” Do the motto and theprinciples underlying it (Exhibit 1) really matter at this company or arethey just nice words and cosmetic...
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...Ace Alberts BA 427 John Kinard January 19, 2010 Whole Foods Case Analysis The chief elements of Whole Foods are to offer the highest quality, leased processed, most flavorful naturally preserved and fresh foods available and market them in an appealing store environment that makes shopping at Whole Foods fun and enjoyable. They planned on emphasizing on perishable good (fruits, vegetables, goods from the bakery, meat, and seafood). The construction and store development teams for Whole Foods new stores adopted a leaner and more disciplined approach to store design and building manufacturing, including plans for smaller stores with simpler décor and smaller, less labor intensive perishable departments: these moves were expected to result in lower per store and per square foot basis. Whole Foods adjusted their pricing strategy by emphasizing the number of value-priced items that were available at Whole Foods according to Mackey was to “Stress our ‘value’ along with our ’value.’” Whole foods did research on pricing and came up with key items that they determined to boost the value perception of customers. They also instituted a program to get better deals from their suppliers which enables them to provide better deals to the customer without having to cut into their profit margin. The way that the displays were set up also changed, aisle displays where no longer filled with gourmet cheeses, upscale wines, exotic fish produce, and premium priced items but with budget...
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...Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy Whole Foods Market 2010 1 OVERVIEW The synopsis of the Whole Foods case discusses the ideas and strategies used by the co-founder and current CEO, John Mackey in taking Whole Foods Market from a small, local store in Austin, Texas and turning the company into one of the nation’s largest retailers of natural and organic supermarkets. STRATEGY The success of Whole Foods is due to the intelligent business strategies used by the company. Strategies were used in all elements of the company including those regarding growth, location, product line, pricing, cost controls, merchandising, marketing, operations, employee compensation, purchasing, distribution and social responsibility. Whole Foods strategy has worked well for the company assisting in supporting growth and income for the future. Whole Foods had a niche for providing a variety of natural and organic goods. Even though conventional stores have begun selling a limited amount of organic products, Whole Foods continues to have a competitive edge due to their consistent effort to be the best in the natural food market and striving to build and keep their dedicated customers. STRATEGIC VISION AND MOTTO John Mackey’s vision for Whole Foods differentiates the company from an ordinary retail store to one that is extraordinary. It has provided the company with the reputation of being a pioneer of the natural and organic consumer market. It...
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...Summary of the Facts: i) Whole Foods was founded in Austin and it owns and operates a chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets through several wholly owned subsidiaries. The company’s supermarkets are located in the US, Canada and the UK. ii) While the product and brand selections varied from store to store, Whole Foods’ product line included some 30,000 natural, organic, and gourmet food products and non food items. (page 10 of 31; Whole Foods Market in 2008) iii) Number of stores increased considerably from 10 in 1991 to 276 in 2007. iv) They are the undisputed $ 4.7 b organic supermarket industry leader. Statement of the Problem: Whole Foods is facing the problem of higher prices of its organic foods resulting in to decline of sales, customers being attracted to other local retailers for the organic food and this is also resulting into the hindering of the brand loyalty of Whole Foods. Causes of the problem: 1) Whole Foods strategy is to give the best product to the customer and maintaining the quality of the organic foods resulting in the higher prices than conventional grocers. 2) Prices of organic foods are 25 – 75 % more costly to grow and market (page 12 of 31; Whole Foods Market in 2008). 3) Exotic offerings and product variety and assortments leading to higher prices. Example would be of Japanese egg plant, 40 different cheeses, and 20 different coffees. Possible Solutions: 1) Lower prices to compete with grocery stores...
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...Ford Motors Strategic management , Whole Foods Market * By Taritz16 * Feb 12, 2010 * 546 Words * 36 Views Page 1 of 2 Case 1 Whole Foods Market in 2008: Mission, Core Values, and Strategy This case was written to (1) illustrate the CEO’s role as chief strategist and organization leader, (2) demonstrate how a company’s business principles and core values can link tightly to and drive a company’s strategy and operating practices, and (3) give students practice in evaluating a company’s direction and strategy in the context of a fast-emerging segment of an important industry. The case requires that students draw upon most all of the concepts discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 in preparing the case for class discussion. Suggested assignment question for the case: What is your assessment of John Mackey’s strategic vision for Whole Foods Market, the strategic objectives he has set for the company, the core values that Whole Foods displays in its operations, and the company’s strategy? How well is Whole Foods’ strategy working? Was the Wild Oats Market acquisition a good move or a mistake? What recommendations would you make to John Mackey in light of recent events at the company? Detailed assignment questions: 1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? 2. Is the strategy well matched to recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic foods segment of the food retailing industry? 3. Do you...
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...Whole Foods Student 1 Response to Discussion Question 3.1 Pertinent Management Issues The pertinent management issues of Whole Foods Market is to ensure the organization maintains its competitive advantage despite the economy. As discussed in the case study, the decline in the economy had negative impacts on the growth and competitive advantage of the organization. Leaders in Whole Foods Market should continue to focus on their current strategy and examine ways to maintain their competitive advantage. Analysis and Evaluation Five Forces Model: According to Thompson, Strickland, and Gamble (2012), the strategy of Whole Foods Market best aligns with a focused differentiation strategy. A focused differentiation strategy is “concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and outcompeting rivals with a product offering that meets the specific tastes and requirements of niche members better than the product offerings of rivals” (Thompson et al., 2012, p. 136). More simply put, the strategy of Whole Foods Market is a focus on a narrow buyer segment offering unique, differentiated products. Market Target: A focused differentiation strategy aims at securing a competitive advantage with a product designed to appeal to a specific group of buyers (Thompson et al., 2012). The specific group of buyers Whole Foods Market works to satisfy are those who have particular interest in natural and organic foods. Whole Foods Market has a strategy that will “help support the health, well-being, and...
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... Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy Introduction Whole Food Markets by 2006 became the world’s largest retail chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets. By 2010 Whole Foods consisted of 290 stores in 38 states, 6 stores in Canada, and 5 in Great Britain. With 90 stores that are 40,000sqaure feet or larger. John Mackey, the CEO believed the rapid growth and market success were due to “remain a uniquely mission-driven company-highly selective about what we sell, dedicated to our core values and stringent standards and committed to sustainable agriculture.” Whole Foods company’s motto- “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet” the statement alone assumes its core mission is beyond food retail it’s about our world/environment we live in. According to hoover.com, Whole Foods planned to reach $12 billion in sales by 2010 by adding 25-30 new stores a year. Due to competition and “the economy has slowed the company’s sales growth, it increased by only 1% in fiscal 2009 vs. 2008 to about $8 billion.” The stores emphasize perishable products, which account for about two-thirds of sales. Whole Foods Market offers some 2,200 items in four lines of private-label products (such as the premium Whole Foods line). Founded in Austin, Texas, in 1980, Whole Foods Market initiated the supermarket concept in natural and organic foods retailing. Identification of key problems/strategic issues * From 1992-2007 Whole Foods acquired 10 competitors...
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...Case Analysis #1 Whole Foods Market Vision, Core Values and Strategy Introduction Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas, when four local businesspeople decided the natural foods industry was ready for a supermarket format. The founders were John Mackey and Renee Lawson Hardy, owners of Safer Way Natural Foods, and Craig Weller and Mark Skiles, owners of Clarksville Natural Grocery. The original Whole Foods Market opened in 1980 with a staff of only 19 people. It was an immediate success. At the time, there were less than half a dozen natural food supermarkets in the United States. By 2006, Whole Foods Market had evolved into the “world’s largest retail chain of natural and organic foods supermarkets.” Their rapid growth and success was primarily due to being highly selective about what they sell, as well as being dedicated to quality standards and core values. Whole Food’s stated mission statement was to “promote vitality and well-being for all individuals by offering the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful natural and naturally preserved foods available.” Whole Foods Strategy Strategy formulation is vital to the well-being of a company or organization. There are two major types of strategy, corporate strategy and business or competitive strategy. Corporate strategy, in which companies decide which line or lines of business to engage in and business or competitive strategy, which sets the framework for achieving success in a particular...
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...Whole Foods Market, Inc. (Whole Foods Market or 'the company') is a natural and organic foods supermarket chain that operates through several wholly owned subsidiaries. The company's supermarkets are located in the US, Canada and the UK. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas and employs 64,200 people, of which 13,300 are part-time employees and 2,700 are temporary employees. The company recorded revenues of $10,107.8 million during the financial year ended September 2011 (FY2011), an increase of 12.2% over FY2010. The operating profit of the company was $547.6 million in FY2011, an increase of 25% over FY2010. The net profit was $342.6 million in FY2011, an increase of 42.5% over FY2010. Strengths Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods and America’s first national “Certified Organic” grocer. The company is the 10th largest food retailer overall. This is an attractive company to work for as Whole Foods has been named by Fortune Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in the U.S. for 15 consecutive years. Whole Foods has a strong focus on creating the right size for their stores. The company is focused on the right sized store for each location. Since FY2008, the company has downsized 20 leases by an average of 13,000 square feet each. They reduced approximately 1.4 million square feet from its development pipeline, downsizing 20 leases for stores in development and terminating an additional 22 leases...
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